MAINLY FOR WOMEN

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 August 1923, Page 8

MAINLY FOR WOMEN

NEWS AND NOTES. Opals with us have the reputation of being unlucky gems, but the ancient. Romans, on the other hanci, prized them as bringing good fortune to their possessors. It is said that the mod ern idea of their unluckiness originated in Russia, where the peasants believe that they are endowed with the power of the evil eye, and destroy any opals that they find.

An elderly French spinster has protested against being addressed as Mademoiselle, the equivalent of our “Mi’ss.” Having brought up her brother-in-law’s six children she considers that she has earned the dignity conveyed by the title of Madame. In France this is regarded as a mark of superiority since married women are held in greater regard than unmarried. The same thing holds in Germany, where the social status of a married woman is much above that of the unmarried. “Frau” so-and-so is a very much more important personage than “Fraulein.”

Recently it was announced that a doctor made a young girl look like a septuagenarian. Why ? Madame Robert alias Countess Tessancourt, 70 years old, who achieved notoriety as the friend of the seventeen-year-old society burglar, Serge Delenz, has decided to use°her knowledge of the preservation of feminine charms to build up a fortune for her old age. She told a few friends she intended soon to open a beauty parlour where she will reveal the secrets that have enabled her to keep her marvellous complexion and chase away the wrinkles, so that, regardless of’her years, suitors from all classes of society rushed to lay gifts at her feet. “If I can do it, so can you,” is to be her motto.

Scarcely a day passes without America sending word of some new “record.” Dancing-, skyscraper, ]) reaching, aeroplane, train speed —■ even dish-washing—“records” arc more or less familiar. Now comes the “record” bridesmaid. She is Miss MacFarlane, of Bessemer, Michigan, and, according to the Central News, she has been 184 times a bridesmaid, and is still going strong. The old superstition, “Twice a bridesmaid, never a bride,” troubles Miss MacFarlane not at all. When couples arrive—as they are often said to do—at the Bessemer Courthouse with license and ring, but minus witnesses or bridesmaids, it is the recognised thing for the judge to semi for her, and her “record” goes up one more. From carpet weaver—a career which she began in a factory at the age of 11 to be New York’s first woman director is the distinction of Mrs Sasa A. Conboy, who has just been appointed to the board of directors of the new Federation Bank (a Labour institution). As a young widow, with a daughter to support, Mrs Conboy worked 60 hours a week in a carpet factory. In 1909-10 she led a strike which won for her the position of International Secretary-Treasurer of the. United Textile Workers of America—a position she still holds. She was selected by President Wilson as the only woman member of his War Industry Conference in 1917, and later by President Harding to attend the Industry Conference in 1921, and is the only woman ever to be sent by the American Federation of Labour to the British conferences.

Urs Corey accused her Amnrieaii housekeeper, Airs Esther Brendt, who has been in he.r employ for over 20 years, of having stolen eleven of the

best and largest pearls from a necklace. Airs Corey is the wife of the American steel “king,” and before her marriage was the well-known actress, Alabel Gilnian. When in France she lived in an historic chateau at Villedenis, where all the servants arc Italian. The missing pearls vanished between the chateau and London. Airs Corey gave orders for them to be put in. a little black leather sachel before she left-for England. When she arrived in London the pearls were missing. There were 111 in the necklace, but a few days later a hundred of them were found hidden behind the cushions of the car which drove Airs Corey and two Italian friends to the station. Airs Brendt was calm and collected when accused of the theft, and denied her guilt,. British manufacturers are unable to keep pace with the unprecedented demand for racquets which has followed the rise of lawn tennis to the status of an international pastime (states an exchange). For some, time one noted linn has displayed on its premises this notice: “Owing to the immense number of lawn tennis raquets already booked for delivery to our trading customers, no further jacket orders can be accepted for the home trade for at least two months. Shipping orders, however, can be received, but must necessarily be subject to considerable delay. It is impossible to supply any racquets from stock.” “It is wrong to speak of a boom,” said the manager to a correspondent, "it is simply a crescendo of trade. Orders are pouring in. from, every known foreign land and several unknown.” It is impossible to turn out the work any <1 nicker because the supplies of best gut. ami the number of highly-skilled workmen are limited.

'l'lie importance of many and early marriages to France cannot be overestimated. The enormous human losses in. the Great War, of course, stimulated the marriage market, and curiously enough there is now in France a greater proportion of male births than Im' many years. This year there is quite a rush for marriage and less inclination among girls to enter into competition with men. in the professions. This is the conclusion arrived at by -Mlle. Amelie Gayaud, teacher in the Paris State School for Girls and a leading psychologist. 1 lie girl of today, slates .Mlle Gayaud, does not share her elder sister's aspirations for intellectual superiority, which she finds has brought her nowhere. Indifferent to politics she has returned to her natural womanly coquetry to aid her search for a suitable male emm panion in life. Although less religious than her elders, the girl of to-day is well balanced, morally, socially ami intellectually, ami despite the seeming daringness of dress ami manners, is healthy-minded and lilted to make an excellent wife.